Why frightened of my fedora?

[BJonas]

Weird thing: my 17 month-old niece (who's totally into hanging out with me and her aunt) is scared of my fedora. She's scared of it when it's on the shelf, and really scared of it when me or someone else wears it. She's not scared of a ball-cap or anything else, and even laughs when her daddy puts on this monster mask he has. So why is this child (a doctor-certified genius-level toddler) afraid of my black Cavanaugh? A black hat has been used as a symbol of mystery and dread (and often villainy) for generations. Is it possible that she is in touch with a media-fueled image of a black hat (either hereditarily or aware of it herself)?

(Did I just make sense?)

 

[ArrowCollarMan]

Maybe it just looks alive or something. I remember when I was little certain objects looked like they had faces.

 

[astaire]

My daughter is the same

My 18-month old daughter gets a bit nervous when i try to put on a fedora on her. She likes wearing hats and often puts my wife's hat on her own head by herself.

But she's not as scared as your niece though.

Perhaps it the shape and color of the hat that make those toddlers nervous.

 

[John in Covina]

Mysterious...

Race memory stored in the collective subconsciousness, past life experience catching up in this life. Check for spirit or psychic disturbances and reread "Spate's Catalog" and "Tobin's Spirit Guide" for clues.

 

[BJonas]

Race memory stored in the collective subconsciousness, past life experience catching up in this life. Check for spirit or psychic disturbances and reread "Spate's Catalog" and "Tobin's Spirit Guide" for clues.

Okay, if you hadn't said it, I wouldn't have brought this up: she was born with a caul (a membrane over her head). I was told as a kid (and have verified this online) that in old superstitions people born with a caul have second sight or something like it. She does a lot of talking with playing with things that aren't there. She also does things someone her age shouldn't do (ex: she points at pregnant women and says "baby"). Maybe she is picking up on something someone who owned the hat before me, I hope you weren't being sarcastic or anything, but it's not something I haven't thought of before.

(Skeptics, start your engines )

 

[John in Covina]

Hat Exsorcism

Have it blessed by a religious person of your choice. A psychic cleaning with spiritual naptha.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

One word!

'Freddy Kruger'. (well that's two words but it wouldn't have made sense if I had just said 'Freddy' or just said 'Kruger'. But as you can now tell, by combining those one words together to form the name 'Freddy Kruger', two words tell the story that one word could not have conveyed - namely that slasher guy who wears a fedora and scares little kids. Case solved.)

-dixon cannon

 

[ramblinBOB]

well if its vintage maybe its the ghost of the original owner pis**d about you buying and wearing his hat i dont no its a new one on me . i was scared of garbage trucks growing up lol p.s. dont let her watch jeapers creapers trust me lol :fedora::fedora:

 

[RBH]

I have two twin 'nieces' that will be two next month. They act like they dont know me if I dont have my fedora on.
Thats one more reason to wear it !

 

[skwerl-hat]

kinda off topic but ive noticed dogs react hostiley to me in my black fedora. insanely hostile like biting my leg going rabid on me hostile. A seeing eye dog tried to bite me! there trained to be gentle

and a rottweiler tried to kill me lol chased me onto the roof of a parked car.
whats the deal with that?

 

[farnham54]

Now, Until last year's QM, I would have said John is off his rocker, but now--Listen to the guy. Seriously, you have nothing to lose, and lots to gain. Of course it depends how receptive the parents are to the idea.

Cheers
Craig

 

[Samsa]

I dare say it's because she's 17 months old.

 

[jake_fink]

Maybe it smells. Give it a sniff. Baby noses (and dog noses) are a lot more powerful than adult human noses.



Seriously.

 

[Matthew Dalton]

Do you have any other Fedoras? I'd be interested to know how she'd react to one that's lighter.

 

[BJonas]

Do you have any other Fedoras? I'd be interested to know how she'd react to one that's lighter.

Good question, but I don't have a lighter one. I have a homburg somewhere though, have to find it and try it.

And no, it doesn't stink, but thanks anyway, Jake. We considered that too. lol

 

[Lorne]

Dear BJonas

Dear BJonas,

Maybe it’s not your, hat she is afraid of; maybe it’s your face.

On a more serious note, I've got a background in clinical psychology. Children that young have a "mental construct" that causes them to orient on the human face. It also tells them what a typical human face is supposed to look like.

Needless to state, that mental construct does not include a fedora. She is probably scared because you are simultaneously providing her with something familiar and yet different. Kind of like a Homburg with a pink ribbon...


Lorne

 

[jake_fink]

Good question, but I don't have a lighter one. I have a homburg somewhere though, have to find it and try it.

And no, it doesn't stink, but thanks anyway, Jake. We considered that too. lol

lol
I wasn't suggesting that it STANK, just that there might be a "scent" that the baby was reacting to.

BTW. I love your avatar and had it lined up to use myself someday.

 

[Story]

and a rottweiler tried to kill me lol chased me onto the roof of a parked car.
whats the deal with that?

Lay off the Steak-n-kidney pie after-shave.

 

[BJonas]

Dear BJonas,

Maybe it’s not your, hat she is afraid of; maybe it’s your face.

lol lol lol ...

 

[duggap]

Scared

I believe what Lorne said is pretty close to right on. I had a psychologist client in my office just now and her reaction was pretty much the same. The child got use to your face without the hat first and now the hat changes your appearance and she is not happy with that. It carries over to the hat when it is not on your head. So she doesn't like the hat when it is on the shelf. It doesn't sound real serious though.